PHILLIES

I failed to put together a midseason top prospect list update, so instead, I’ll do a somewhat extensive stock up/down entry. Up 3. SS J.P. Crawford: Crawford proved his strong pro debut in 2013 wasn’t a fluke, and he’s on the short list for best shortstop prospects in the league. He’s a no doubt big [More…]

Last week, Arizona Fall League rosters were announced. The Phillies will send seven (including one TBA) players to the Scottsdale Scorpions where they’ll be joined by prospects from both New York teams, the Pirates and Giants. When choosing players to get AFL assignments, they usually think about these factors: if a player missed a significant [More…]

Baltimore is hanging onto first place in the AL East, but it’s an open five team race. Their pitching staff, both the rotation and bullpen, are below average, and second base is one of their weaker points in a pretty solid lineup. This makes them a potential trade partner with the Phillies, and that goes [More…]

The Phillies should be prepared to be sellers at this deadline, and unlike the last two years when they probably should have been, it seems like reality is finally setting in for Ruben Amaro. The problem isn’t just identifying it though. The problem is him doing something about it. Trading for prospects has certainly not [More…]

With the Phillies’ emphasis on college players in last month’s draft, Williamsport should have a chance to reach the playoffs for the first time as a Phillies affiliate. Despite that, the Crosscutters are still one of the younger teams in the league. Their offense is a mix of high college picks and younger players from [More…]

The Phillies’ draft strategy on emphasizing college players also applied to the hitters, and in an era where the pool of college bats keeps getting worse and worse, maybe it’s not too wise. It’s difficult to see them getting a big impact from these players, but maybe there can be some contributors. Catcher 18. Sean [More…]

Earlier this month, the Phillies had what was one of their most important drafts in a while. Up until now, it had been pretty rare for them to pick in the top 10 in recent years, so it’s pretty important that they hit on this pick. They departed from their usual strategy of taking higher [More…]

Sunday’s no-hitter will put the focus on the Phillies’ lack of offense, but their pitching depth, as well as most everything in the system, is poor. Injuries have hurt a player or two, but that doesn’t account for most of the problems. It’s just a lack of talent. Their 2013 draft could feasibly not produce [More…]